Is the surgeryitaly the best small town newspaper in Canada? Does it have the best editorial page in the country?
Those are two questions that will be answered during Newspaper Canada's annual conference at the River Rock Casino in Richmond on April 29.
Your local newspaper is a top-three finalist in the Canadian Community Newspaper competition for best all round newspaper in its circulation class (up to 1,249). It is also a top-three finalist in its circulation class for having the best editorial page.
Other finalists in the best all round newspaper contest are the Bowen Island (BC) Undercurrent and the Blue Mountains (ON) Courier-Herald.
In the best editorial page contest, the other finalists are the Placentia (NL) The Charter and the Whitewood (SK) Herald.
As a top-three finalist, the Times automatically gets a Blue Ribbon award in the Canadian Community Newspaper competition. Barriere's North Thompson Star/Journal is also getting a Blue Ribbon as a runner-up in the competition.
Last year the Times received a Blue Ribbon in the all-Canada general excellence competition.
In 2005 the Times won second place for best all round newspaper in its circulation class in the Canadian Community Newspaper competition. It placed second for best editorial page and third for best front page in the nation that same year.
Last week B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association announced that the Times is a top-three finalist for general excellence from BCYCNA. This is the eighth time the newspaper has been a finalist in the GX award contest in the 13 years that Black Press has owned the newspaper. The winners of the provincial newspaper awards will be announced during a gala event to be held at the River Rock Casino on April 30 - one day after the Canadian contest results are made public.
